What is WeChat?
WeChat – The King of Chinese Social Media
Over the past decade, WeChat has transformed itself into one of the most powerful apps in world. WeChat is the lifeline of every Chinese person both home and abroad and can be used for a variety of functions including:
Text/Voice Messaging
Social Media Posts
Flight/Hotel Booking
Ride Sharing
Online Shopping
Online Banking
What is WeChat? Imagine having one super app to perform all your daily functions in life? Personal messaging, phone calls, banking, social media, travel reservations, ride hauling, food delivery.
In Western countries we have an individual app for each of these functions, but in China all of these functions can be controlled from the WeChat ecosystem. WeChat has become more than app in China, it is now a way of life.
With over 1.2 billion Monthly Active Users (MAU), WeChat is the best platform to give your brand valuable exposure to the growing Chinese consumer market.
“WeChat is there at every point of your daily contact with the world, from morning until night” – The Economist
WeChat Mini Programs
WeChat Mini Programs were officially launched by Tencent in early 2017 and are “sub-applications” within the WeChat ecosystem. They allow companies to fully customize a program for their specific needs. For example:
- A retailer can create an e-commerce store for Chinese customers
- A city’s tourism department can create an interactive map of their city highlighting popular tourist spots for Chinese tourists
- A hotel can create a booking system for Chinese tourists
- A sports academy can create a booking system for clients to book and manage training sessions
WeChat Mini Programs are gaining in popularity and have become a turning point for the platform and the whole industry. Some industry experts predict the future of WeChat may even rival iOS and Android eventually becoming another mobile operating system.
What is an Overseas WeChat Official Account?
The Western equivalent of a WeChat Official Account would be a Business Page on Facebook. However, unlike Facebook, where creating a business page is free and easy to set up (can create a page in under 5 minutes), a WeChat Official Account requires a more extensive registration process and an annual fee to keep your account active on the WeChat ecosystem.
Companies outside of China can register a WeChat “Service Account” that allows them the opportunity to publish up to (4) articles of content each month.
Service Accounts receive valuable data such as age, location, and gender of followers to the account allowing for more specialized marketing.
Official Account Case Study: Colton’s Couture
Colton’s Couture began as a pop shop in 2016 and has quickly transformed into a chain of successful and flourishing brick- and mortar multi branded luxury boutiques. Colton’s Couture registered an Overseas WeChat Account in early 2020 to better connect with the local Chinese community in Vancouver, Canada.
The APP Marketing team works with Colton’s creative team to highlight new fashion trends and store collections in weekly articles on their WeChat Official Account. Articles typically generate 1,000-1,500 views and have been a direct source of new customers for Colton as they continue to establish their presence on China’s top social media platform.